ALBION have agreed a £1.5 million fee with Wigan for winger James McClean who will become their first signing of the summer.

A handful of Premier League clubs had been aware of McClean’s availability with a year left on his contract, but the Baggies have swooped quickest.

The 26-year-old Republic of Ireland international has seen his club career slide since leaving Sunderland for £350,000 two years ago.

But he is still a senior international player for Martin O’Neill having come off the bench against both England and Scotland this summer.

Callum McManaman of West Bromwich Albion and Hector Bellerin of Arsenal compete for the ball

McClean will be reunited with Callum McManaman at The Hawthorns - as well as former Sunderland team-mates Craig Gardner and Stephane Sessegnon- after scoring six goals last season for the Latics.

He was voted Player of the Year by the Wigan supporters in April after a fine second season with the club. He had made his debut in the Charity Shield against Manchester United at Wembley following their relegation from the Premier League.

McClean made an immediate impact at Sunderland after arriving from Derry City for £350,000 in August 2011, soon after switching his national allegiance from Northern Ireland to the Republic.

The players Albion fans want

Steve Bruce was the Black Cats manager at the time and he said: “James has got a good left foot, he’s aggressive, hungry and desperate to do well.

“He’s had a lot of assists, chipped in with a few goals and done very, very well in the Irish league.

“James is a late developer and because of his background and upbringing will give it everything he’s got.

“It’s a huge jump up to the Premier League, but we think he’s worth the risk.”

Albion , without dipping too much into their transfer kitty pre-takeover, are hoping Tony Pulis can reignite McClean’s Premier League form to the levels he showed in early 2012 when he scored four goals in nine games adding two more by the end of his first season.

Ethan Ebanks-Landell of Wolverhampton Wanderers and James McClean of Wigan Athletic

He followed that with only two League goals the following season and was sold to relegated Wigan to continue his career in the Championship.

McClean has courted controversy throughout his career in England. In November 2012, McClean choose not to wear a jersey with a Remembrance Poppy in match against Everton.

Explaining his actions he later told the Irish Independent: ‘Speaking honestly, I think I was hung out to dry by the press people at Sunderland.

‘That day, we were playing Everton, the manager [Martin O’Neill] was brilliant about it. He understood. He said: “If that’s your decision, I fully support you”. None of the players had an issue with it.

But pre-game, the press officer went out and issued a statement saying that I wouldn’t be wearing a poppy, that it was my own decision and that, as a club, they fully supported the poppy appeal.

‘That just drew attention onto it straight away. I don’t think it would have been anywhere near as bad as it got if that hadn’t happened.

‘Then, when I asked to be allowed to speak about it, I was told that that was a bad idea, not to say anything and let it blow over, so it was kind of brushed under the table, and I felt that was more for the club’s benefit than mine.”

Pulis is still in the market for another wide man with QPR’s Matt Phillips in his sights.